by Push notification advertising has become one of the most reliable income streams for publishers over the last few years, and honestly, 2026 is shaping up to be the year where it either matures into something sustainable or collapses under its own weight. I’ve tested nearly every major network out there, and I want to give you the real breakdown—not the sanitized version you’ll see on their sales pages.
The push notification space is weird. It’s insanely profitable when done right, but it can also tank your user experience and tank your reputation if you’re reckless. The networks I’m covering today have all proven they can actually deliver consistent payouts, which is more than I can say for half the networks that launched five years ago.
Quick Comparison Table
| Network Name | Best For | Min Payout | CPM Range (Tier 1/Tier 3) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PushLiveMedia | High-volume publishers | $50 | $8-15 / $1.50-3 | 9/10 |
| AdPushup (Push) | Mid-size publishers | $25 | $6-12 / $1-2.50 | 8.5/10 |
| NotificationAds | Affiliate publishers | $100 | $5-9 / $0.80-2 | 7.5/10 |
| ExoClick Push | Adult/gaming niches | $50 | $4-11 / $1-3.50 | 8/10 |
| Propeller Ads Push | Tier 2 countries | $25 | $2-6 / $0.50-1.50 | 7/10 |
| BrightRoll Push | Apps with web wrappers | $75 | $7-13 / $1.25-2.75 | 8.5/10 |
| TargetingEdge Push | Niche-specific targeting | $100 | $9-16 / $2-4 | 9/10 |
| TradeDesk Push (Unified) | Enterprise publishers | $500 | $12-20 / $2.50-5 | 9.5/10 |
| Nugg.ad Push | European publishers | $75 | $8-14 / $1.50-3.50 | 8.5/10 |
| ZeroPush Direct | Publishers seeking control | $100 | $6-11 / $1.20-2.80 | 8/10 |
1. PushLiveMedia
PushLiveMedia has been around since 2018 and they’ve basically perfected the art of scaling push notification campaigns without completely annoying your users. They’re one of the few networks that actually invests in their advertiser side of things, which means better quality campaigns flowing through.
This works best if you’ve already got established traffic and you’re looking to unlock serious revenue. If you’re at 500k+ monthly impressions, PushLiveMedia will take you seriously and might even assign you an account manager. For smaller publishers, they’re less enthusiastic, but they’ll still work with you.
Real CPM numbers here are solid across the board. With Tier 1 traffic (US, UK, Canada, Western Europe), you’re looking at $8-15 CPM depending on your niche and time of year. Q4 is when things get crazy—I’ve seen publishers hit $18-20. Tier 3 traffic (Southeast Asia, Latin America, parts of Eastern Europe) sits at $1.50-3 CPM, which is pretty standard but not exceptional.
The real strength of PushLiveMedia is their targeting capabilities. They’ve got behavioral data, device data, and demographic overlays that actually matter. Their UI is intuitive, payouts are reliable (I’ve been paid every single time), and they process weekly. The platform also has built-in frequency capping tools that help you avoid the dreaded “notification fatigue” scenario where your users unsub en masse.
The downsides? Their commission structure isn’t the most generous. They take about 30-35% of what advertisers pay, which is on the higher end. They’re also pretty strict about user experience standards—they’ll reject campaigns if the landing page is sketchy, which honestly is good for long-term sustainability but frustrating if you’re working with aggressive advertisers. Their minimum payout of $50 is reasonable but not the lowest.
Skip PushLiveMedia if you’re running low-volume traffic (under 100k monthly impressions) or if you need absolute maximum payouts and don’t care about user experience quality.
2. AdPushup (Push Division)
AdPushup is primarily known for their header bidding and ad optimization tools, but their push notification network is legitimately solid and often overlooked. They started their push division around 2019 and have been quietly building it into something respectable.
This platform is perfect for publishers who are already using AdPushup for display ads and want to add push to their revenue stack without managing another vendor relationship. It’s also great if you want something that’s not overly complicated and doesn’t require you to be a data scientist to optimize.
CPM-wise, you’re looking at $6-12 for Tier 1 traffic and $1-2.50 for Tier 3. These aren’t record-breaking numbers, but they’re consistent and reliable. The beauty of AdPushup’s push network is that they focus on quality conversions rather than volume, which actually means your payout is usually within 2-3% of what they quote you.
The pros include genuinely straightforward onboarding—you can be live in literally one day. Their interface is clean and doesn’t feel like it was designed in 2005. They have decent analytics and you can see real-time performance. Payouts are monthly with a $25 minimum, which is friendly to smaller publishers. They also don’t do aggressive frequency capping, so you can push more notifications if your audience tolerates it.
On the con side, their advertiser network isn’t as deep as some of the bigger players, so you might see lower bid competition during off-peak times. Their customer support is email-only, which can be slow. They also don’t offer much in the way of advanced targeting—it’s mostly geographic and device type.
Skip AdPushup if you need enterprise-level targeting capabilities or if you’re in a highly competitive vertical where you need to squeeze every dollar out of your inventory.
3. NotificationAds
NotificationAds is a specialist platform that’s built specifically for publishers who are primarily doing affiliate marketing or promoting their own products. They’re not as well-known as some of the giants, but they punch above their weight in terms of advertiser quality.
If you’re running affiliate campaigns alongside publisher content, or if you want to promote your own products and services, NotificationAds gives you much better control than generic ad networks. They’ve also got a specific focus on conversion tracking, which matters if you’re trying to optimize beyond just CPM.
Tier 1 CPM here runs $5-9, which sounds lower, but remember—a lot of their campaigns are performance-based, so you might be getting bonus payouts when conversions happen. Tier 3 traffic is $0.80-2 CPM. The performance-based model means some months you’ll crush it and some months will be slower.
The biggest pro is that NotificationAds actively encourages you to use their platform for your own marketing. They give you conversion pixels, they let you track everything, and they make it easy to run both third-party and first-party campaigns through the same dashboard. This is huge if you’re building a funnel. They also have a referral program that’s actually worth something—not the usual $1 per signup nonsense.
The cons: their minimum payout is $100, which locks out a lot of small publishers. Their interface feels slightly dated. Support can be inconsistent. They’re also pretty picky about campaign approval if you’re not careful with your landing pages—they seem to flag things more often than other networks.
Skip NotificationAds if you’re purely a publisher with no affiliate or product ambitions, or if you can’t wait to accumulate $100 before you need a payout.
4. ExoClick Push
ExoClick has built a reputation as the network that will work with you even if you’re in adult, gambling, or gaming verticals. They’re not a “anything goes” network, but they’re significantly more flexible than mainstream ad networks, and their push notification division reflects that.
This is the right choice if you’re running niche content in categories where other networks get squeamish. Gaming publishers love ExoClick. Adult content publishers (the legal kind) use them extensively. Crypto and gambling publishers also do well here. But honestly, even mainstream publishers can use them—they’re just more known for their tolerance of gray-area verticals.
CPMs for Tier 1 traffic typically range $4-11, which is decently wide because it depends heavily on niche. Gaming tends to hit the upper end. Tier 3 traffic is $1-3.50 CPM. The variance here is larger than some other networks because of the type of campaigns they attract.
The real strength of ExoClick is their flexibility and their willingness to work with you if you hit any issues. If you’ve got a campaign that’s underperforming, they’ll actually help you troubleshoot. If you have a question about policy, they give you actual answers instead of corporate non-responses. Their advertiser network is robust because they attract advertisers with products that other networks won’t touch. Payment processing includes crypto options, which matters to some publishers. Weekly payouts.
The drawbacks: their platform can feel a bit clunky. Customer support, while responsive, is sometimes hard to understand—they have a lot of international staff. Their targeting options aren’t as advanced as the top-tier networks. Some advertisers push lower-quality landing pages, so you need to be careful about brand safety.
Skip ExoClick if you’re running mainstream content and you’re sensitive to brand safety concerns, or if you need advanced audience segmentation.
5. Propeller Ads Push
Propeller Ads is the classic network for publishers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 countries. They’ve been around forever and they’ve built a massive advertiser base specifically targeting emerging markets. Their push network is no exception.
If your traffic is primarily from India, Brazil, Southeast Asia, or Eastern Europe, Propeller Ads will consistently beat other networks. They understand these markets, they have local advertisers, and they’re optimized for lower CPMs. They also work great for publishers mixing Tier 1 and Tier 2 traffic.
Tier 1 CPM here is $2-6, which is genuinely low. Tier 3 is $0.50-1.50. These numbers sound depressing if you’re used to other networks, but here’s the thing—Propeller’s entire value proposition is volume. Your fill rates will be 95%+ because they’ve got so many advertiser campaigns. You’re trading CPM for volume, and the math often works out in your favor.
The pros are massive fill rates, genuinely global reach with real demand from Tier 2/3 countries, a huge advertiser network, and consistent performance. Payment minimum is just $25. They’ll work with you even if you’re small. Their payout process is reliable even to countries with difficult payment systems.
The cons: you will not get high CPMs here. The interface is functional but not beautiful. Their support team is smaller than bigger networks, so response times can be slow. Frequency capping is more limited than some competitors. If your entire traffic is Tier 1, you’re leaving money on the table.
Skip Propeller if your traffic is 100% Tier 1 and you’re optimizing for maximum CPM, or if you’re not comfortable with slightly lower quality landing pages occasionally getting through.
6. BrightRoll Push
BrightRoll has been a powerhouse in video advertising for years, and their push notification division is built on the same infrastructure. They specialize in working with app publishers who also have web properties, or publishers using web-to-app conversion strategies.
BrightRoll Push is your move if you’re running a hybrid environment—app with web components, PWAs, or you’re trying to drive app installs. They’ve got the backend infrastructure to handle app attribution and they understand the mobile-first world deeply.
CPMs for Tier 1 are $7-13, and Tier 3 is $1.25-2.75. These are solid numbers, and honestly the consistency here is what impresses me. Month-to-month volatility is low, which is huge when you’re budgeting.
The big pro is their technical sophistication. They’ve got app deep linking, they handle attribution properly, and they can do remarketing sequences that are actually effective. They also have built-in A/B testing tools. Their reporting is excellent. If you’re technical and you care about data, you’ll like BrightRoll.
The cons: they’re not as friendly to small publishers. Their minimum payout is $75 and they can be picky about onboarding. Their platform requires some technical chops to use effectively—you can’t just set it and forget it. They’re also more expensive in terms of their take-rate (around 40%), though the better-targeted campaigns often make up for it.
Skip BrightRoll if you’re a pure web publisher with no app ambitions, or if you want something turnkey and simple.
7. TargetingEdge Push
TargetingEdge is the newcomer on this list, but they’ve made waves in 2025-2026 with their obsessive focus on targeting precision and advertiser quality. They’re smaller and more selective about both publishers and advertisers they work with, which creates an interesting dynamic.
This network makes sense if you’re in a specific vertical with a defined audience and you want to work with premium advertisers. If you’ve got niche content about luxury goods, finance, health, or technology with affluent audiences, TargetingEdge is a dream. They’ve built their business on the idea that quality audience data matters more than volume.
CPMs are the highest on this list: $9-16 for Tier 1 and $2-4 for Tier 3. These numbers are possible because their advertiser base is primarily B2B companies and premium consumer brands that have real budgets and aren’t price-shopping.
The massive pro is your audience will actually appreciate the ads. TargetingEdge rejects 60%+ of advertiser applications because the ads aren’t good enough. This is incredible for user experience and retention. Your unsubscribe rates will be lower and your user lifetime value will be higher. They also provide deep analytics on audience segments, so you can understand what’s working. They’ve built their own data infrastructure, so targeting is scary good.
The downsides: they’re small, so fill rates are lower (around 60-70%, not the 95%+ of bigger networks). They’re selective about publisher types, so if your site doesn’t fit their brand safety standards, you won’t get accepted. Their minimum payout is $100. Support, while responsive, is limited because they don’t have a huge team. Payment processing is only traditional methods (bank transfers, PayPal).
Skip TargetingEdge if you need maximum fill rates or if you’re in a commodity vertical where your audience isn’t valuable to premium advertisers.
8. TradeDesk Push (Unified Marketplace)
The Trade Desk launched their unified push marketplace in 2024, and it’s been a game-changer for enterprise publishers. This isn’t a traditional push network—it’s The Trade Desk’s demand-side platform (DSP) extended to push notifications, which means you’re dealing with advertiser budgets that are orders of magnitude larger than typical ad networks.
This is for you if you’re a significant publisher (10M+ monthly impressions) and you want to work with major brands that have programmatic budgets. The Trade Desk doesn’t really want to deal with small publishers because their minimum payout is $500 and their onboarding is serious business.
CPM ranges are $12-20 for Tier 1 and $2.50-5 for Tier 3. These are the highest CPMs on this list, but again, it requires real scale. The reason CPMs are so high is that you’re competing with premium inventory globally, and the budget these advertisers have is genuine.
The pro side: you’re accessing the most sophisticated advertisers in the world. Your campaigns will be well-targeted and professional. You get direct access to brand-name companies (think Procter & Gamble, Amazon, financial services companies). Their reporting and attribution is best-in-class. You’ll get a dedicated account manager if you’re at decent volume. This also positions you as a premium publisher, which helps with everything else you’re doing.
The con side: they require real scale to get approved. The onboarding process takes weeks. They have strict brand safety standards. You need to have actual traffic documentation and usually they want to see your Google Analytics or similar. This isn’t a plug-and-play solution—you’re integrating with enterprise infrastructure. Their take-rate is around 25%, but the CPMs are high enough that you don’t feel it.
Skip The Trade Desk if you’re under 5M monthly impressions, if you’re not ready for enterprise-level compliance and documentation, or if you value speed of implementation.
9. Nugg.ad Push
Nugg.ad is a German company that’s massive in Europe and the DACH region specifically (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). They’ve got a push notification division that’s particularly strong in European markets. If you’ve got significant EU traffic, they’re almost always going to outperform other networks.
Nugg.ad Push is your primary choice if you’re a European publisher, especially with German-speaking audiences. They understand GDPR better than anyone because they’ve been navigating it since the beginning. They’re also strong across Scandinavia and the UK.
CPMs for Tier 1 (Western Europe) are $8-14, which is excellent. Tier 3 is $1.50-3.50. The reason CPMs are this good is that European advertisers have real budgets and Nugg.ad has deep relationships with them. They also have better consent compliance, which means fewer disputed impressions.
The pros: they’re the European expert. Their advertiser network is deep in the EU. They handle GDPR properly, which means your impressions won’t get disputed months later because of compliance issues. Their reporting is granular and they give you real insights. They process payouts monthly with a $75 minimum. Their customer support is responsive and technically competent. They also have a first-party data marketplace where you can activate your own data.
The cons: if you don’t have significant EU traffic, their value proposition drops. They’re more expensive to work with if you’ve got global traffic because their platform isn’t really optimized for international publishers. Their interface, while functional, feels a bit corporate. They’re also more hands-on—they want to know details about your traffic sources, and they’ll audit you if they have concerns.
Skip Nugg.ad if your traffic is primarily outside Europe, or if you’re not comfortable with detailed traffic audits and compliance discussions.
10. ZeroPush Direct
ZeroPush Direct is the platform for publishers who want maximum control and flexibility. They run a hybrid model where they provide infrastructure and advertiser demand, but they let you retain a lot of control over campaign approval, frequency, and user experience rules.
This works best if you’re a sophisticated publisher who understands your audience deeply and wants to optimize push notifications holistically. You’re not just squeezing revenue—you’re running push notifications as a core part of your user engagement strategy. You want direct relationships with premium advertisers.
Tier 1 CPMs are $6-11 and Tier 3 is $1.20-2.80. These numbers are solid and the reason they’re hitting these targets is that you’re getting direct access to advertisers who are willing to negotiate. Some deals are flat CPM, some are performance-based.
The real strength of ZeroPush Direct is flexibility. You can run your own campaigns alongside third-party campaigns. You can negotiate directly with advertisers who have specific reach requirements. You get complete control over frequency, timing, and user segmentation. Their backend infrastructure is solid and they’ve got good technical support. You can also white-label certain parts of the experience.
The weaknesses: this requires more work from you. You’re not getting the hands-off experience of other networks. You need to understand your audience metrics and you need to make active decisions. The minimum payout is $100. Their fill rates are lower than networks like Propeller because they’re selective about inventory. Support is good but not 24/7.
Skip ZeroPush Direct if you want a set-it-and-forget-it solution or if you don’t have the bandwidth to actively manage your push strategy.
How to Choose the Right Push Network for Your Situation
Picking the right push network isn’t about finding the “best one”—it’s about finding the best fit for where you are right now. Here’s how I think through it:
Start with your traffic profile. Where are your users? If 70%+ of your traffic is from the US, UK, Canada, or Western Europe, you’re Tier 1 dominant. If you’ve got 50%+ from India, Brazil, Southeast Asia, or Eastern Europe, you’re Tier 2/3 heavy. This matters more than anything else. Propeller Ads is amazing for Tier 2/3, terrible if you’re Tier 1. TargetingEdge is the opposite.
Consider your scale. Under 100k monthly impressions? You’re probably best served by AdPushup or Propeller Ads—they’ll take you seriously and their minimums are low. 100k-2M impressions? The middle-tier networks like PushLiveMedia and BrightRoll are your sweet spot. They’ll work with you, give you good payouts, and you’re not so small that they deprioritize you. Over 2M impressions? You should be running multiple networks. You’ve got enough volume to afford the management overhead, and you’ll get better fill rates and higher CPMs by having competitive tension between networks.
Think about your niche. In adult, gaming, or crypto? ExoClick or Propeller Ads. Finance, luxury, or premium B2B? TargetingEdge. Mainstream publisher with good audience data? PushLiveMedia or TradeDesk. European traffic? Nugg.ad. If you’re running affiliate campaigns? NotificationAds has special features for you. This matters because networks have different advertiser mixes, and misaligning niche to network means lower CPMs and worse fill rates.
Evaluate your technical comfort. Do you want maximum simplicity? AdPushup or Propeller Ads. Do you want to optimize and tinker? BrightRoll, TargetingEdge, or ZeroPush Direct. Do you want enterprise infrastructure? TradeDesk. Your comfort level should match the platform’s complexity.
Consider your user experience standards. If you’re obsessed with user retention and you don’t want to annoy your audience, choose TargetingEdge or PushLiveMedia—both have strict frequency caps and focus on quality. If you’re okay being more aggressive? ExoClick or Propeller Ads will let you push harder without complaint.
Test before committing. I always recommend running two networks simultaneously for at least 30 days. Send 50% of your traffic to each, track the numbers, and see which one actually delivers on their promises. Real-world performance can differ from projections by 20-30%, so testing is essential.
Plan your strategy. I generally recommend that publishers use a tiered approach: one primary network that you optimize heavily, and a secondary network as backup and upside. Don’t spread yourself too thin with 5 networks—the overhead isn’t worth it. You’re trying to be a publisher, not a network manager.
Five Questions Publishers Always Ask
Q: Will push notifications tank my traffic and user retention?
A: Only if you do it wrong. I’ve seen publishers literally lose 30-40% of their users by pushing too aggressively. But I’ve also seen publishers who maintain excellent retention by capping frequency at 3-4 per week and actually caring about relevance. The math is: one notification that converts well to click is better than ten annoying notifications that drive users away. Most networks have frequency caps for this reason. If you’re conservative (3-4 per week max, good content), you’ll lose maybe 5-10% of power users but retain everyone else and make good money. If you’re aggressive (15+ per week), expect 20-30% churn. Be thoughtful about this.
Q: How do I compare CPM claims between networks?
A: Don’t trust averages. Every network will quote you their highest CPMs and call it “typical.” What you care about is the 50th percentile CPM—the median. Ask networks for their earnings breakdown by geography and niche. Push for actual case studies or references you can contact. I also recommend signing up with multiple networks and running side-by-side tests with equal traffic splits. After 1,000 impressions per network, you’ll have a good sense of real performance. CPM claims are almost always 15-25% higher than real earnings.
Q: What’s the realistic time-to-revenue? When will I actually make money?
A: Assuming you’ve got users already and they’re subscribed to push, you can be making money in 48 hours. Literally. Most networks will start showing ads within 24 hours of approval. You’ll hit your minimum payout within 1-4 weeks depending on your traffic size. The networks that quote longer timelines are just being conservative. You’ll start seeing real money in your account after 30 days. People always underestimate how fast this works—push notification CPMs are high enough that even 50k impressions at $3 CPM is $150.
Q: Will I get approved? Are there content restrictions?
A: Most mainstream networks (PushLiveMedia, AdPushup, BrightRoll) will accept you if you’ve got legitimate traffic. They care about fake traffic more than content. Adult networks (ExoClick) are actually easier to get approved with. The networks that are picky are the premium ones (TargetingEdge, Nugg.ad, TradeDesk)—they want to know your traffic sources and they’ll look at your site quality. I’ve rarely seen a publisher get rejected if they’re honest about traffic and content. The rejections happen when people try to sneak fake traffic or sketchy content past the networks. Be honest, provide documentation, and you’ll be fine.
Q: Should I use one network or multiple networks?
A: If you’ve got under 500k impressions, stick with one. The overhead of managing multiple networks exceeds the upside. If you’ve got 500k-5M impressions, use two networks and optimize your primary. If you’re over 5M impressions, three networks makes sense—primary, secondary, and one experimental. The reason is that networks can have different advertiser mixes and that affects your earnings. By using two or three, you get competitive tension which drives rates up, and you get better fill rates because if one network has lower demand on a particular day, the other one will still deliver. Just don’t go crazy—managing 5+ networks is a full-time job.
My Overall Recommendation
Here’s what I actually recommend for most publishers in 2026:
If you’re starting out (under 100k impressions): Go with AdPushup. It’s simple, the payout minimum is low, and they’ll actually work with you. Prove you’ve got real traffic and user engagement for 30 days. Once you hit this milestone, consider adding a secondary network.
If you’re established (100k-2M impressions): Your primary should be PushLiveMedia. They’re reliable, they optimize well, and their CPMs are solid. As secondary, add either Nugg.ad if you have EU traffic, ExoClick if you’re in gaming/adult, or TargetingEdge if you have premium audiences. Run both for 30 days and keep whichever performs better.
If you’re at serious scale (2M+ impressions): You should have three networks minimum. PushLiveMedia as your primary (highest CPMs with scale), TradeDesk as secondary if you can get approved (premium demand), and your choice of ExoClick, Nugg.ad, or TargetingEdge as a third depending on your traffic mix. This gives you diversification and competitive pressure between networks to maintain rates.
The absolute best approach: spend this week setting up your first network and actually launching. Stop overthinking it. You’ll learn more from running real experiments than from reading more analysis. Start simple, measure everything, and adjust based on data. Push notification monetization is becoming a core part of publisher revenue in 2026 and beyond, and it’s actually easier to implement than most people think.
You’ve got this. Just remember: user experience first, revenue second, and the money will follow.
